The 2015 off-season saw a flurry of changes to team lists, with high-profile players such as Patrick Dangerfield, Charlie Dixon, Adam Treloar, Harley Bennell, Jake Carlilsle moving to new clubs.
One move which didn’t garner a lot of attention was Matthew Wright’s shift to Carlton after being delisted by the Adelaide Crows.
While the 2016 season is only eight games old, the acquisition of Wright looks an astute one by the Blues.
Wright’s delisting by Adelaide was a bit of a surprise. Many players are delisted after a period of time on the list without contributing or failing to play a game, but Wright did not fall into those categories.
Starting at the Crows as a rookie list player, Wright was drafted to the main list with pick 82 in the 2011 draft and went on to play 94 games in five seasons. Last year he played 16 games, but did not play an AFL game after Round 18, the Crows obviously deciding he was surplus to requirements after falling out of favour.
The Blues signed Wright as a delisted free agent and Carlton list manager Stephen Silvagni was full of praise on his arrival, saying, “Matthew is an inside midfielder-forward with clean hands who’s a good set shot and quick around the packs Importantly, he’s also a quality person who will bring experience and leadership to our team.”
Yet Wright’s impact so far may even be beyond Carlton’s expectations, and other clubs may be thinking they should have given the 26-year-old a lifeline.
Wright has gathered 20 touches or more in six out of eight games, and is averaging 21.9 disposals per game. The pressure he has been renowned for on the opposition is evident, laying 31 tackles to be ranked fourth at the club. Wright has also had an impact on the scoreboard, kicking seven goals to be the Blues’ third-highest scorer.
He may not be a superstar, but Wright has proven to be a significant player in the new-look Blues.
Expectations may have been low for 2016, but the unfancied Matthew Wright and the Blues are moving the club in the right direction.
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